Approximately fifty men and a handful of women (“an unorthodox turnout,” quipped one Stern attendee) showed up on the night of November 28th in Belfer Hall for “Being Orthodox in an Unorthodox Workplace,” an event co-sponsored by the Yeshiva University Career Center, TAC, SOY, and SYMSSC.
Laurie Davis, Director of Counseling and Programming at the Career Center, introduced the program by acknowledging that while “there are no black and white answers” for the upcoming questions and scenarios representing potential problems that observant Jews face in a non-Jewish work environment, the discussions were mostly meant “to sensitize,” and not necessarily solve, the dilemmas.
An impressive array of distinguished professionals took center stage. Program Chair Joel Strauss, a partner in law firm Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP (as well as the Chairman of the Career Guidance and Placement Committee of the Undergraduate Alumni Council), introduced the highly accomplished panel members, all of whom were YU/ SCW/ Syms alumni.
These professionals included Dov Adler (PricewaterhouseCoopers), Allen Friedman (JP Morgan Chase), Dr. Ilana Friedman (Montefiore Medical Center), Evelyn Havasi (Citigroup), Ari J. Hirt (Mission Capital Advisors), Heather Kaminetsky (FiftyOne), Sarah Klayn (Deloitte & Touche), Aaron Liberman (Reflective Energy Solutions), Amanda Nussbaum (Proskauer), Jennifer Prince (Stellar Management), Tova Renna (Johnson & Johnson), Steve Safier (Panasonic North America), and Howard Wietschner (Private Entrepreneur).
Margot Reinstein, President of TAC, described how she believed the event’s messages and lessons were universal to all Yeshiva University students, regardless of intended major or prospective workplace environment. As a Legacy Scholar intending to enter the field of Jewish education, Margot received several puzzled questions about the reason for her attendance at the event. “As a future Jewish educator, I know that not all of my students will eventually work in Jewish settings (like I will), so it’s important to be equipped with the knowledge in order to properly educate my students on the dilemmas that exist in these diverse careers,” she explained.
The opening remarks of the program were offered by Rabbi Yona Reiss, the Max and Marion Grill Dean of Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, who shared personal anecdotes from his own law background to emphasize the importance of “finding ways to accommodate the firm’s culture while maintaining your own religious standards.” During holiday season at his company, for example, the custom existed for all employees and staff to dress as elves and distribute gifts to fellow office workers. Rabbi Reiss, instead, came as a Maccabee.
After Rabbi Reiss’s speech, students were broken up into seven groups, led by select panelists from the array of accomplished professionals. In the sessions, a group of students and two panelists explored many of the issues observant Jews face in the workplace, and offered enlightening ways of handling them. Most panelists stressed the importance of consistency in one’s practices—for example, regarding kippah-wearing, shaking hands with colleagues, and leaving at the appropriate time every Friday afternoon. “You will gain the respect of your coworkers when you remain consistent about your values,” said Program Chair Joel Strauss. If you’re “picking and choosing,” coworkers will notice “and won’t appreciate or respect it.” Regarding asking for time off, many of the professionals advised delaying mentioning that you can’t work on Shabbat and Chagim in the interview until after you are offered the position. On Kashrut, students were advised that, when invited to an event that includes food, they should offer to choose a moderately priced, business-appropriate kosher restaurant or ask to make their own food arrangements from a nearby kosher restaurant.
The floor was then opened for questions. “People were asking real questions,” emphasized Margot Reinstein. “And each of the speakers was very thought-provoking with his or her answers.” An intimate networking reception followed the breakout groups, and students had the opportunity to mingle and speak with professionals until around 11 pm. “It was such an important and informative event,” said Laurie Davis, “that we just wish more women had been there to turn out. But we understand that there was a lot going on [exams, other events, etc.] this time of year,” she admitted. As a senior and president of the Student Council at Syms Business School, Ariela Geller deemed it necessary for her to glean this knowledge about issues in the workplace. “I’m graduating now, so I know I may not be in my YU bubble anymore,” she said.